But what I found instead were announcements which specify a background graphic for each province, to be used instead of the plain white license plates. Yet so far I did not notice those colorful plates, this may be either because it's relatively new (the first provinces got a graphic in 2004, and still this year there are new ones) or just not much popular because of a higher price. Thus I have no photo of such a plate to show here, but will of course look out for one when I am in Thailand next time.

But nevertheless these graphics are interesting, as they display significant things of the province - landscape, culture or historic places. So somewhat similar to the emblems, which however are much more stylized and use less recognizable symbolic things. For example the of Surat Thani (Gazette) shows the Ang Thong archipelago, one of the natural highlights of the province. And funnily the view is exactly the one from the hilltop of Ko Wua Ta Lap, where I went once already.

I just read the PDF you linked, with the Surat Thani artwork, and now I understand why these are still relatively rare. The text above the graphic says (roughly):

"License plate pattern for private cars of seven or fewer passengers, which have license numbers designated as desirable or popular, and are licensed in Surat Thani province (license plates acquired by auction bid)."

They're a status symbol for the rich and famous, who like เลขสวย on their license plates. :)

Changwat, Amphoe, Tambon

Everything about the administrative subdivisions of Thailand - history, current news, facts hardly found in English, reviews of corresponding books, the Wikipedia coverage of these entities...

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